The Big Ten released its volleyball schedule on Thursday, bringing Nebraska’s full 2026 slate into focus.
With the implementation of a Big Ten Tournament in volleyball, the conference has reduced its league slate to 17 matches, creating a true round robin with each team playing every other team one time.
As part of the changes, there will be a minimum of four split weekends and a minimum of two travel-efficient trips per school. Additionally, all teams will play regional opponents for Tuesday matches in the final week ahead of the Big Ten Tournament. With an uneven home-road split, the teams that play nine home matches this season — including Nebraska — will receive eight home dates in 2027.
The Big Ten will hold matches Thursday through Sunday in October before adding Wednesday to the competition week in November.
Nebraska will open conference play at home against Rutgers (12-20, 3-17 in 2025) on Sept. 25, with Ohio State (6-22, 3-17) visiting the following day.
Among the highlights for Nebraska include a tough October with a trip to Penn State (19-13, 12-8) on Oct. 1 and home matches against Wisconsin (28-5, 17-3) on Oct. 10 and Purdue (27-7, 15-5) on Oct. 17. The Huskers will make their West Coast trip in early November, visiting Oregon (17-13, 8-12) on the seventh and Washington (13-17, 8-12) on the eighth.
Nebraska will close out the regular season on Tuesday, Nov. 17, against Minnesota (24-10, 12-8 during an injury-plagued season). The Big Ten Tournament runs Nov. 20-25 at Fishers Event Center in Fishers, Indiana.
Nebraska previously announced a handful of noteworthy nonconference matches, starting with the inaugural Spikes Under the Lights at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. The exhibition showcase on Aug. 27 will feature Nebraska, Florida, Penn State and SMU competing for a $1 million prize pool. The event will feature two semifinals and a championship, all with a best-of-three format.
The Huskers will open the regular season at the first-ever Players Era Showcase at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, facing UNLV on Aug. 29 and long-time rival Texas on Aug. 30.
Nebraska will travel to senior setter Bergen Reilly’s home state to face South Dakota State in Brookings on Sept. 2. The Huskers will head to Chicago to face DePaul at Wintrust Arena on Sept. 4 and Missouri at the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field in the Big Ten/SEC Challenge on Sept. 6.
Nebraska will begin play at the Devaney Center with the Ameritas Players Challenge Sept. 10-12, facing New Mexico, Baylor and Georgia Tech. The Huskers will host in-state foe Creighton at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Sept. 16, the lone regular season match at the larger Lincoln arena this season. The nonconference slate will conclude with the Husker Invitational, with matches against matches against North Carolina (Sept. 18) and Florida Gulf Coast (Sept. 20).
In total, Nebraska will play 28 regular season matches, including 11 against nonconference opponents. Nebraska’s schedule features nine matches against teams that finished in the top 25 of the 2025 AVCA Coaches Poll.
The Huskers went 33-1 including 20-0 in Big Ten play in year one under Dani Busboom Kelly and will look to build off that in year two with most of their starters returning.
Now boarding: The 2026 Nebraska Volleyball Schedule ✈️ pic.twitter.com/kPLAsrWCc1
— Nebraska Volleyball (@HuskerVB) May 28, 2026
